Ch.32Dark Elf Mercenary Red Hood #3

“Don’t show any openings! And if you see one, strike!”

We faced the bandits with these obvious words.

Though obvious, they were difficult to follow in the midst of clashing weapons and lives hanging in the balance.

Maintaining composure while dancing with death was no simple task.

One could reveal an opening by being too hasty, or by being too cautious.

I moved diligently to ease the burden on our people, even slightly.

Of course, the soldiers were well-trained and were methodically cutting down the bandits one by one.

“Kuhek!”

I killed one by tearing out his throat.

I kicked at his ankle to divert his attention, then used that opening to rip out his throat or strike with enough force to end his life.

The weapons left behind by dying bandits were immediately picked up and thrust into the remaining foes, substituting for the dirk I kept close to my chest.

Many died with severed necks, pierced hearts, or if not those, long gashes across their bodies.

Among them were those who died from knives I had thrown, piercing their necks, heads, or bellies.

“Is everyone alright?!”

“Yes! We’re fine!”

After confirming the bandits’ annihilation and checking for additional enemies nearby, I called out loudly.

Those who had fought were all splattered with blood, yet each wore a slight smile.

Likely meant to convey that there was no need to worry.

“Still, let’s check everyone’s condition just to be safe.”

I examined each person carefully, checking for wounds.

Even minor injuries can cause problems if left untreated.

It seemed better to address them while we could.

Fortunately, as people had confidently declared, no one was seriously injured.

Several had cuts in their clothing, but most wounds were minor. I thought we were quite lucky.

I took out a jar from the baggage cart at the rear and applied its contents to the wounded.

It was a rather effective ointment made from a combination of herbs.

They showed great appreciation as I cleaned my hands as best I could and applied the ointment.

Their reactions were so innocent it was hard to believe they had just killed bandits moments ago.

“Well, I’m sorry to ask this of you all… but let’s bury all the bandits’ bodies at the edge of the forest before we leave.”

“Yes, understood!”

We formed teams and neatly arranged the bandits’ corpses.

We could have simply abandoned the bodies and left, but I felt uneasy about leaving them to create a road of corpses.

The road was soaked with blood spilled by the bandits, but we cleaned it as thoroughly as possible using the bandits’ clothes.

They were just the clothes of dead men anyway, so using them for this purpose seemed appropriate.

Stripping clothes from corpses for the first time in my life gave me a peculiar feeling.

It was so strange that it was difficult to express in words.

“Ji— I mean, Sir Black. What should we do with the remaining weapons?”

I stroked my chin thoughtfully at the soldier’s question.

Though somewhat soiled, they still appeared usable. With a bit of cleaning, they could certainly be repurposed.

I had considered discarding them, uncomfortable with the idea of using a dead person’s weapons, but this time I decided to prioritize practicality.

After all, tools themselves bear no sin.

“Please wrap them lightly, or arrange them carefully so the blades don’t damage anything. We’ll use them ourselves.”

“Understood. Hey, you lot! Those not burying bodies, come help with this!”

At one person’s call, several people rushed over to organize the weapons.

They lightly wiped the blood with the remaining bandits’ clothes, wrapped them in cloth, and began stacking them neatly in a cart with relatively empty space.

Scabbards would have been nice, but it couldn’t be helped. The bandits who launched the surprise attack hadn’t brought scabbards to begin with.

“We’ve finished with the bodies.”

“The weapons are organized too. They should be usable during our trip to the market.”

People who had completed their tasks approached me in a group to report. They looked like puppies waiting for praise.

“Everyone has worked hard. Now that we’re done with the cleanup, let’s take a short break before departing.”

Though we might have hurried on due to urgency, I decided to take a rest break at this point.

I thought it would be a good choice to catch our breath after fighting and burying corpses had drained our energy.

I believed that sufficient rest and sleep were essential for humans to work well.

“Oh my! Thank you!”

At this, people eagerly moved the carts to one side and sat down around them to rest.

Seeing how quickly they relaxed, chatting and easing the tension in their shoulders, I thought they were truly thorough.

Well. Time to rest. Yes.

I climbed onto the driver’s seat, which was like a long bench, with the coachman who had somehow appeared beside me, and gazed ahead.

Not because I couldn’t mix with the others, but because leaning against the back of the cargo hold like this was truly comfortable.

“Why don’t you rest comfortably too, Mr. Hans? You could even lie down in a corner of the cargo hold if you’d like.”

I pointed to the soldiers lying down here and there, including on the ground.

At a glance, they seemed completely relaxed, but seeing that more than half were still sitting, I didn’t think that was the case.

I had seen them making light bets earlier, and it seemed clear they had used those to determine who would lie down.

“Haha, I’m fine. Just your concern for a coachman like me is already a great encouragement.”

“Don’t say that. Everyone here is essential.”

I comforted Hans, who seemed to be subtly belittling himself, and gently patted his back.

In modern times, I might have been scolded for being an impudent youngster, but Hans simply kept bowing his head in gratitude.

Perhaps in this world, rank takes precedence over age.

“By the way… Red Hood. Will that fearsome mercenary really come to our side? I mean, being a mercenary, they might consider a request, but…”

Hans slumped his shoulders with a clearly worried expression.

Understandably so. Red Hood’s infamy is well reflected in the name, and they are a mercenary.

They would consider an offer if compensation was presented, but he seemed concerned about what would be appropriate.

He was also worried about whether there would be friction after hiring them.

“Hmm… since it’s already been decided, there’s nothing we can do. I’ll try my best to resolve it at my level.”

So, I could only comfort him with a promise to take responsibility as much as possible.

I was reluctant to answer with confidence, so I hedged with the word “try.”

After all, I couldn’t guarantee success.

Thus, after staring ahead in awkward silence for quite some time, I finally called out.

“Alright, we’re departing! Everyone please get ready!”

◎◎◎

After a night of camping, early the next morning.

We were about to enter the territory of a noble who followed the Fourth Prince. Like other domains, it was surrounded by thick outer walls.

“Are you in charge?”

“Yes. I’m Black from the Altram Trading Company. We’ve come to sell food.”

“Tsk! Like a pack of wolves.”

The soldier at the checkpoint clicked his tongue and held out his hand. Presumably to check identification.

So I discreetly slipped him a small purse of money along with the certificate I had prepared in advance.

It was a move both to provide needed funds during these difficult times and to preempt any potential trouble.

Of course, if this soldier had truly been loyal to the state, he would have been outraged the moment I slipped him the money.

He might have searched our cargo thoroughly and imprisoned us if he found anything suspicious.

But this man was not like that.

Being an ordinary person, he discreetly pocketed the money while maintaining a stern face.

“Lucky for you there’s nothing wrong! Pass through!”

He let us through the gate while making threats as if his inspection had been particularly rigorous.

Thanks to that, we passed through with deep bows, appearing extremely grateful.

“Haha. Well…”

Coachman Hans burst into laughter, apparently finding the man ridiculous.

True, I found it absurd too, but I also thought it was natural.

In these difficult times, the desire to line one’s pockets could be seen as understandable.

“Anyway, now we need to move quickly to gather information. The information we have about Red Hood might be outdated, so we’ll need to verify it here.”

As soon as we stopped at a suitable open space, I gathered everyone and began speaking.

There were quite a few glances cast our way, both while traveling and now that we had stopped.

This was understandable, given that we had brought several carts loaded with a considerable amount of food.

“As you know, I didn’t come here to trade. But to maintain our merchant disguise, the company has brought Dex, a real merchant. I’m sorry to delay my task, but I’ll leave the grain trading to Dex.”

“Yes. We’re already well aware of that, so there’s no need to worry.”

Dex, a man with a skinny build and sharp eyes, nodded as if this was obvious.

Though this was indeed our original purpose, I brought it up again to reconfirm his role.

“And I’d like a few of you to accompany Dex, while the rest of you spread out separately to gather information while pretending to look for good deals. Red Hood information is the priority, but miscellaneous information is fine too. I’m counting on you.”

“Yes. Leave it to us.”

Everyone responded in unison with a low voice.

It was loud enough to make my ears ring, but I couldn’t help smiling at their reliability.

“Of course, I’ll also be going around to collect information. And since this is just something we can casually ask about, don’t feel too pressured. Think of it as picking up a conversation topic. For example, you could start by asking how the war situation is these days.”

“Understood.”

“Good. Oh, before we disperse… if possible, please subtly inquire about lodgings as well. We’ll need a place to stay.”

I added a word about accommodations before everyone left.

Additionally, I told them to gather back here when they finished their tasks.

It seemed more convenient to set a meeting point in the absence of communication devices like mobile phones.

After saying everything I needed to, they formed several small groups and dispersed.

The largest group followed Dex, which was natural since people were needed to pull the carts or unload the goods.

Finally, I can breathe a bit.

Feeling the liberation that comes from delegating tasks, I strolled leisurely through the streets.

I had memorized the route to this place, so I thought I could return quickly. The area had many distinctive features that made it easy to recognize.

The current time was late afternoon, when one could see the sun burning red as it set.

This meant evening was approaching, which also meant taverns would soon be unlocking their doors.

There’s an old saying that information is best gathered in taverns where rumors flow, and it seemed quite effective in practice.

Though there was a possibility of not obtaining accurate information, I thought I could at least get some leads.

Thus, my footsteps naturally headed toward what would be a tavern somewhere.